Back to the Disaster
by ghostofgonzo
Summary: Sequel to 'Steal the Glamour From Death'. Surrounded by family and friends crippled by the horrors and losses of war, Hermione and Fred decide to use the insight gifted by her amulet to change history for better or worse.
1. Chapter 1

This is the sequel to my first story 'Steal the Glamour from Death'. (I'm sure the link's in my ridiculously empty profile page that will remain empty until I think of something witty and/or remember to actually put it there once I do. Such is life.) I highly suggest you read that one first, I changed a bit from canon as I felt appropriate for my needs. Knowing what I wrote better than most (heh), I couldn't promise it's necessary. Knowing HP canon and the general plotline of Hermione and Fred going back to save everyone (because no one's ever done any variation of that, you know...also, I lie), anyone should generally be good following this one if you should choose. But I put the effort into a part one, so I'd appreciate you putting the effort into reading it as well...lol.

Standard disclaimers apply: if I owned even the tiniest bit of anything Harry Potter, I wouldn't (a) be renting or (b) creatively working my budget to feed my husband and I as well as paying rent every month. It would be nice, though...

CHAPTER ONE: PREPARATIONS

Christmas had returned and Fred and Hermione's plans were almost complete. They had a small, intimate wedding planned for New Year's Eve and would leave for their honeymoon just after midnight. That way no one would ever notice they left, granted they were successful, and no one would suspect anything about them having bags packed to ring in the new year. If they succeeded, they would be rhicocched back through time, according to all of Hermione and Snape's calculations, back into their bodies in the timeline they created. Snape had been invaluable, especially through his restless during his extensive bed rest, in helping Hermione with the particulars once she and Fred had successfully broken into the Department of Mysteries, stolen the time turner, and copied all of the original research.

The research, it seemed, had gone past the limitations of the time turners the Ministry owned and all three doubted anyone but whoever was in charge of the time room and the wizard who had done the original work had a clue. It _was_ possible to go back as far as you'd like and, once you triggered the return mechanism that had been designed but never built into current time turners, your mind and soul would be hurtled back into what would be your current timeline, hopefully around the same time you left. There was a documented variance if you went too far, though, so they expected to return sometime between June and September past. A few months didn't concern them in the least, provided they would have their memories of the previous timeline, which research indicated they would.

Together, they had all worked on the stolen time turner, turning it into everything it could be and everything they needed it to be. After a few trial runs, the two were confident in their mission. Even Snape was hopeful. He had asked only one thing for his assistance: try to stop him from having taken the mark. Turns out, the events leading to this could be traced back to one day just after he had left Hogwarts. He ran into Lucius Malfoy while shopping in Diagon Alley and had missed an important job interview that by all accounts he would have aced because he had been trying to impress the man who had pretty much run Slytherin before he had graduated his fourth year. Because he missed the interview and was aimless and jobless, he had taken up Lucius' suggestion of meeting the Dark Lord's people, trying to impress people he had looked up to for the wrong reasons. Snape felt that if he had not run into Malfoy, had gotten the job or at least made the interview, and grew up without a dark mark or being forced to teach, he could have been a very different man.

Because of this, Hermione and Fred had added that day to their timeline of things to stop, knowing it would change the dates they had planned. They had hoped to travel back to a point before Voldemort had started recruiting heavily, but after he had returned to England from Albania and interviewed for the DADA position, going after the horcruxes first before Bellatrix had been given Hufflepuff's cup and Lucius was entrusted with the diary, leaving the task of defeating Voldemort himself to someone like Dumbledore once the evil wizard had no tricks left up his sleeve. They were hoping to have come back before Snape had graduated, but agreed to themselves later it'd be best to see the job through anyway, even if they did employ someone else to take the final task. Secretly, Hermione had resolved that they'd just find a way to destroy Voldemort before Snape or Harry's parents had graduated. After they had, things had gotten worse and that's when the majority of the events they wanted to stop had occurred. If Voldemort was gone before that, none of the things they wanted to stop would ever happen. But a promise was a promise, both of them spent their formative years as Gryffindors, and there was no saying what would happen to keep Snape from that interview if they weren't there to ensure he went.

It was the first Christmas since the war ended. The first Christmas the Weasleys would have to spend without Arthur, Percy, and George. Percy hadn't actually been around the past two Christmases and George and Arthur had been in two different places the year before, but knowing that they were never coming back, that there would never be another Christmas with any of them again, took it's toll on the vast majority of the family. Charlie was in attendance, and had been home for Halloween and Thanksgiving as well seeing as he had indeed lost his arm and could no longer keep up on the dragon reserve. He was currently working at the Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley, but McGonagall was pulling all the stops trying to recruit him as the next Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts seeing as Hagrid had told her he'd like to retire to his key keeping duties only as soon as she found a replacement. The gentle half-giant had taken all the losses of the war extremely hard and wasn't feeling up to teaching any longer.

Molly had made attempts at filling the empty places at the table by inviting over Kingsley, Andromeda and Teddy, and Snape, all of whom came. But neither the new faces, Teddy's brilliant green hair, or the announcement that Fleur was pregnant fully lightened the mood. If anything, the half-somber Christmas only fuelled the fire inside Fred and Hermione to fix everything for everyone. When Molly questioned if they really wanted to go away on a honeymoon instead of sticking closer to home, they had both resolutely answered yes.

By all accounts, the year before Harry's parents graduated Hogwarts was when everything had taken it's turn for the absolute worse and Voldemort had gained an undeniable foothold of power. The year after, the Order of the Phoenix was formed. A year after that, they had married, and two years later, they had had Harry. The first year of Harry's life, which would have been Fred's third and Hermione's second because of when their birthdays fell, was the worst year of the first war. The casualties piled up excessively, culminating in the majority of the Order of the Phoenix being murdered in the two weeks before the Potters hid under the fidelus charm, quieting for the month they remained hidden, and ending with their deaths. September of 1981 held the highest number of wizarding casualties of any month in recorded history before the Battle of Hogwarts that had culminated the second war against Voldemort.

Historians were unsure of why Voldemort had started his reign of terror when he did, but Hermione knew better. One of the visions she had seen from her amulet in the fifteen hours she had spent unconscious after the Battle of Hogwarts had been from the door to the room of hidden things. Two years before Harry's parents graduated, Voldemort had applied to be Hogwarts' Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He had already recruited a fairly large and dedicated group of followers outside the walls and was planning on keeping the post for three to five years to not only recruit from within Hogwarts, but to see to it that those he chose to recruit were properly trained and those he chose as targets were not. Dumbledore had not refused him outright, she knew from her door-memory, and so the year of waiting had passed with the Dark Lord trying to keep his followers under wraps in hopes of gaining the job that would further his cause so effectively right under Dumbledore's nose.

That's why he had chosen to hide his horcrux in the school - he believed he would be returning to teach. A former head boy with years of experience under his belt and fantastic grades on his O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. would be a shoo-in with the board of governors, he had thought. He knew Dumbledore didn't want him there, but the board could overrule him if they were unanimous. The memory hadn't shown her as much, but she knew the waves of violent attacks against muggles started in late August before the next school year, leading her to assume Voldemort had become aware of the fact that he would not be hired by Hogwarts and so started his reign of terror immediately instead of waiting the three to five years he had planned for more recruitment.

Hermione knew lots of little tidbits like that and was spending more and more time with the Weasleys in hopes of finding out more and eliminating some of her guesswork. Research had proven that Madam Longbottom was the only person on the Board of Governors to be against Tom Riddle's placement as DADA professor, effectively keeping him from the school and starting the terror. She bet the old woman knew that and it held the key for her resentment towards her grandson she had had earlier in his life - she was feeling guilty for her own actions that had made a target of her son and daughter-in-law. The Burrow was a treasure-trove for her amulet, which is why Hermione had avoided it as much as possible before she and Fred had decided to change the world. While preparing for her wedding, she had been presented with earrings from Molly, who had said, like the tiara Fleur had worn, Prewett women had been wearing them for their weddings for centuries. When she had raised an eyebrow at this, remembering the tiara, Molly explained that there were several pieces of jewelry and the tiara and that only women born to the Prewett line wore them all. Women that were marrying in that the family approved of were offered a piece to complete their wedding look. Molly had felt that tiara suited Fleur perfectly and the earrings matched Hermione's dress perfectly.

She sniffed and smiled sadly as Hermione thanked her, too caught up in emotion to notice Hermione's gasp for breath while she was overcome with the inevitable flash of memories. That night, she became aware of the fact that she was the second person Molly had offered those earrings to for her wedding. She also realized that Dorcas Meadowes had died Dorcas Prewett, and had since been on the hunt for anything that had belonged to Gideon. As much as she had learned about his actual death in Diagon Alley, she still didn't know _why_ the Prewett twins were targeted in such a bold attack. From talking to Harry, she knew that Dorcas Meadowes had been killed by Voldemort personally. After poking around the attic and finding some of the late twins' school things, she discovered that the three were also good friends with Benji Fenwick, despite an age difference, who had lived in the house over the hill now occupied by the Diggory's. Harry had been told that they only ever found bits of poor Benji Fenwick. As much as they were going to avoid it all - those deaths all took place in September of 1981 - Hermione had a suspicion that it was all connected and was trying desperately to figure out how before they changed the past and all these memories would no longer exist. Curiosity was her second most prevalent trait next to cleverness, after all, and with everything so bleak in the aftermath of the war a new mystery and possible secret love story was more than enticing.

Fred was also curious. As much as he knew it wouldn't matter should they succeed in their mission, he had always wondered about his uncles. His mother would get teary when asked about them and thus never told any of them too much. All he knew was that they had lost their parents when his parents had only been married a year and were expecting Bill, the summer before the twins' second year at Hogwarts, and that Molly had pretty much raised them from that point on. He knew that they were pretty mischievous at home, but had dialed it back a bit when their parents died and gave up on being the top pranksters in Hogwarts their third year, which would have been the marauders' second. They had come home from Hogwarts for Christmas their seventh year with the family clock, including a hand for the baby Percy. The ancient Cleansweeps he and George had played on at Hogwarts, and later escaped from the school on, had been top of the line a few months before their uncles had died and were their last major purchase. Fabian had gotten Charlie his first toy dragon that breathed real fire charmed not to burn or be hotter than tap water. Gideon had taught Percy to read at the age of four just over a year before he died. Both had taken Bill for his Hogwarts supplies, who had been horrorstruck and heartbroken to get the news less than a month after he started school that his beloved uncles had died, even if they had been fighting like heroes on the way out. He had insisted it had nothing to do with the fact that they had promised him a racing broom that summer for having been sorted into Gryffindor, and Fred had laughed at that bit, despite believing every word of it.

Most of what Fred knew about his uncles came from Bill or Charlie. He and George had been three and a half when they died, but his older brothers remembered them clearly. Fred swore he vaguely remembered two identical red-haired men in his childhood room talking about knights and wizards and dragons jumping in and out of the shadows with silly or scary faces.

Hermione wished that Percy were around to share his memories - he would have been five when his uncles died. Charlie remembered Gideon's girlfriend Cassie coming over with his uncles sometimes that would avoid flying or playing with him and Bill outside. She helped Percy with the studies assigned to him by Molly and shared books - both magical and muggle - with him instead. A few of those books were still in Percy's old, and mostly untouched, room. He remembered her being nice, but tired with a spontaneous twitch or three after she hadn't been around for an entire summer once when his mom and uncles told him she was sick. He had gotten very sullen after that, suddenly realizing what the disappearance followed by obvious nerve damage insinuated - he had been too young at the time to think anything was amiss with the story he was told.

Fabian and Gideon were aurors. Marlene McKinnon, Fabian's girlfriend whose whole family was murdered in the same two weeks the other four they were investigating were, worked for the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Neither Fred nor Hermione could figure out what Dorcas Meadowes or Benji Fenwick did after Hogwarts. If not for the Order of the Phoenix photo and Bill and Charlie's memories of the two, she'd be inclined to believe that the two had simply disappeared after graduation. There was no record of them anywhere doing, purchasing, or owning anything. In fact, the one document they couldn't find recorded of Gideon was his marriage license. It's like anything that may have had Dorcas Meadowes' or Benji Fenwick's name on it vanished with their deaths.

It was Charlie that suggested that they were unspeakables, saying they saw less and less of "Uncle Benji" after he had graduated Hogwarts and that Cassie was never there for gatherings beyond the immediate family, answering an owl Fred had sent asking for memories of his uncles and their friends, claiming Hermione was writing a book about the wars against Voldemort that the press was now coining as the Blood Wars. Fred backed up that statement, saying he didn't remember an Uncle Benji at all, but could vaguely remember the rest. Hermione had tried inquiring with the Department of Mysteries using the same excuse and had, after about three weeks, received a curt reply stating that no persons of those names have ever been under the employ of the DoM and that they were unaware of their existence. This made her more curious until she had found references to _both_ of them hidden in the information she had stolen about the time turners, names had seemed unimportant when she was initially trying to figure out how to make her time turner do what she wanted and she had been focused on the facts alone. So there it was. Unspeakables. No wonder Voldemort was after them and eliminated them so completely. The Prewett twins, and possibly even the entire McKinnon family, were possibly just caught in the crossfire. Of course, being blood traitor aurors and a half blood family probably hadn't helped their cases.

By the time the wedding arrived, they still hadn't figured out the whole story for certain, but had pieced together enough to be content. Hermione was nervous as she got ready, Molly and Ginny sharing grins that almost reached their eyes for once, and tutting over her nerves. It wasn't the wedding that scared her. She had never been more sure of anything in her life as she was marrying Fred. She knew that she had less than twelve hours before she would be back in a war zone, fighting for the future and her friends' lives. Of course, she and Fred would be the only two people fully aware of the danger anyone was in, but that didn't matter. They knew how to save the lives of those poor, unprepared people too, and would to the best of their ability. A new mission of theirs was to try and save Fred's previously unrealized aunt from whatever had hurt her to the point of trembling and twitching months and years after. Doing the math, Hermione knew both Dorcas Meadowes and the twins would be getting ready to leave Hogwarts for the last time when they arrived. Bill hadn't been sure of when she had disappeared, but they both figured they had at least a year - the Order of the Phoenix wouldn't even form until two months after their arrival.

The ceremony was beautiful, from what Hermione remembered. Her brain had actually shut off entirely and all she could see was Fred, beaming at her, the entire time. She was vaguely aware of Kingsley officiating and Charlie standing behind Fred, looking out of place like he was acutely aware that George should be standing where he was, Lee beside him. He probably was very aware, Hermione mused later, and missing his brother all the more for it. The reception, which she spent dancing with Fred, Harry, Neville, and all the surviving Weasley men, but mostly Fred, passed quickly and ended in a pretty fantastic display of fireworks - the last batch George had ever helped work on. Fred had been touched, despite his teasing a slowly coming around Ron, Ginny, Harry, and his dedicated employee Verity that the display would have been much better had he set it up. When they arrived at the secluded Scottish cottage they had rented for their honeymoon front, the two decided to wash up, eat, and change before checking their belongings over once more and heading out.

Within an hour of leaving their wedding, Fred and Hermione were clasping bags tightly, the elongated chain of the modified time turner around their necks, as they counted turns. They were going to save _everyone_.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO: SETTING UP

It was sometime in early September, 1976 when the world stopped spinning. At least, that's what Hermione hoped. Apparating to the designated spot in Diagon Alley, she and Fred set out to find a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ to confirm this. They had spoken about their arrival previously and had decided the best way to draw attention to themselves was to act like they didn't know precisely where they were and what they were doing and having to ask around for the date wouldn't be terrible, but asking for the year would raise eyebrows. Once they secured a copy, they found themselves a table at a small cafe where Weasley Wizarding Wheezes would stand in twenty some odd years. Frowning a bit while looking around after giving her order, Hermione wondered what had happened to this place and why no one had rented it in the years following the war until Fred and George happened upon it at a wonderfully discounted rate their seventh year in Hogwarts.

"May twenty-third, 1977. About a year off, so that's not too bad for our first attempt," Fred commented quietly, taking in the headlines once the date was established. "We're too late for the Hawthornes and Faye McDougal, but early enough for pretty much everyone else. In fact, the attack on the Hawthornes is on the front page."

"It happened the night before last," Hermione told him, people watching while he read the article and commented in hushed tones. "At least we planned for this. That's why I was set on coming so early. Nothing too major happens for another several months. We have time to work on everything except Severus."

"When is that, again?" Fred asked, thanking the waitress as she brought their coffee.

"A few weeks from now. June seventeenth," she told him, fixing her cup as she liked it. "He's just finishing up the apprenticeship he started in Hogwarts. His papers as a potions master will be filed into the Ministry next week."

"We'll have to be sure to be up bright and early then. Shame things didn't go exactly to plan, I really wasn't looking forward to meeting Lucius or Severus in this time period," Fred sighed heavily. "There's a lot of death and destruction in here. At least it should make our next task simple enough. Did you want to stay local or look a bit further off?"

"I think local would be best. If we're wandering around here often enough, people will recognize us. People you see every day but don't know turn invisible after a while," she reasoned, drawing a nod from Fred as he flipped to the want ads. "Do you know what happened to this place? Why it was empty after the war? Surely they explained the discount you got."

"Mad Eye lost his eye here...probably about a year from now if I remember correctly. A tracking mission gone bad, he said once. After that, the fight that took out my uncles started over there," he said, gesturing to the nearest corner of the cafe. "They completely renovated the place while this section of Diagon Alley was closed. Something about getting rid of bad luck. Remember how Fortescue, Ollivander, and all those shop keepers went missing? Well, it happened to the owner of this place a week after they reopened and a couple weeks before Harry prevailed. After that, no one wanted to be here."

"Except two crazy pranksters twenty-some odd years later," she finished with a grin.

"Laughter is the best medicine. Isn't that what the muggles say? We figured if a refurbishment didn't chase away the bad luck, laughter could," Fred reasoned, grinning back. "Turns out the flat upstairs is up for rent too and in our price range. Fancy going home?"

"We'll ask when we pay our check. Then it won't be odd if we frequent this place. With as much as happened near here, I think it's a good idea to set up shop in the middle of it all," she agreed, smiling outright at Fred's contained excitement. "Plus, if we gather things we need to keep and fail, we can hide them in the walls to pick up later. We know where the refurbishment is going to be in our old timeline and where the damage was from the attack that forced us out. We'll avoid those places."

"If we succeed, George and I won't have a place here for the shop," Fred frowned in thought.

"If we succeed, George will be alive to help you run your shop," Hermione pointed out. "Besides, you won't have Harry's triwizard winnings to buy it anyway, but will know better than to give your money to Ludo Bagman. Maybe you can just stay owl-order until you make enough to buy out Zonkos or can get a place elsewhere in the alley or Hogsmeade."

"We always wondered why we didn't start in Hogsmeade. I mean, we picked this place because it was a bit cheaper and much larger, but there was a nice location right off the main drag in Hogsmeade we were considering after hearing about the history of this place," he agreed. "We ultimately decided the space, location, and price was too good to pass up for superstition. So we've got a place, but lost our start up capital."

"Not exactly. We have more than enough money from savings, reparations from the Ministry, and selling the houses and your business for our trip. I say we take whatever's left over and invest it before we go back. Get the interest," she told him with a grin that said she had thought about that ahead of time.

"The goblins will turn us in for illegal time travel," Fred whispered with a frown.

"So we don't involve them. We have it exchanged for muggle money. Open a high yield savings account and hire someone to invest some in stocks I know will do well but no one else realizes will become a cash cow like Microsoft," Hermione told him. "I have legitimate muggle identities and paperwork for us to set it up and we can put it in trust for our godson, Frederick Gideon Weasley, who is not to be contacted about it until he turns seventeen."

"Why not your name? Surely, you exist more in the muggle world than me," he asked, grin growing again.

"I plan for us to be gone soon. I'm not born yet. If we're stuck here that long, I'll put it in my name because it'll be easier to access. If not, well, we have to make sure you're legit in the muggle world. I'm sure with the current technology I can somehow get your family registered in the census bureau and have all of you legitimately existing in the muggle system easily enough."

"You truly are the brightest witch of your age. Even if it weren't necessary for this, it will surely help George and I out in the future," he agreed, drawing a big smile from his wife. "What about our identities for here?"

"That's the beauty of the Ministry's outdated system. They've got records of everyone born in St. Mungos and everyone who attended Hogwarts or worked for them, but there's no way of proving we _don't_ exist if we didn't do any of those things. People who were born at home and then home schooled simply don't exist to them. And I've got forged paperwork saying we took our exams in Canada," Hermione chuckled at that, digging out his paperwork from her beaded bag and handing it to him. "Our families were close growing up because our fathers ran a business together. Because they moved a lot, we were born outside the country and our mothers educated us, making sure to have us take our required exams at the required ages. It only makes sense we were betrothed at a young age and married once I came of age."

"Fantastic. Let's get asking about that flat, then," Fred decided, signaling for the check for their coffees.

A few weeks later, they set out from the flat above the cafe to be sure Severus didn't become a Death Eater. The plan was for Fred to distract Lucius Malfoy and Hermione to distract the perpetually irritated potions master. They spotted Lucius on their way to The Leaky Cauldron and Fred split off to see what he could do about keeping the man in Flourish and Blotts while Hermione went to ensure that Snape got past there quickly. Fred decided the direct approach was best and charmed the door of the shop to stick closed when Lucius got to the register to arrange for his purchases to be paid for and sent to his manor. Hermione watched as Snape started past the store right as patrons from either side of the door started getting angry about it not opening. Cursing her husband, she decided to take one for the greater good and opened a book to pretend to read while angling her path to crash directly into the man distracted by the scene at the book shop.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed as they bounced off each other and hit the pavement. "I wasn't watching where I was going!"

"Clearly," Snape sneered, regaining his feet and politely offering her a hand up despite his tone.

"Thank you so very much! You're not hurt at all, are you?" she asked, trying to distract his keen observation by appearing overly flustered. "Oh thank Merlin. I'm terribly clumsy sometimes, especially when my attention's divided. My husband's always getting on me for that."

"Advanced runic theory?" Snape questioned with a raised eyebrow as he retrieved her book from the ground, sufficiently distracted from the bookstore across the road.

"Just a bit of light reading. It's terribly interesting," she explained, blushing and looking down at her feet.

"I'm more of an advanced potions and arithmancy kind of guy, myself," he admitted with a quirk of the corner of his mouth. "But either way, I usually save it for when I'm seated or at least not walking down a busy sidewalk."

"I probably should too, in the future," she admitted, letting her face turn even redder. "But you were in a hurry somewhere, I'd hate to make you late."

"Yes, I was. Don't be worried by it - I have plenty of time, I just like being early for interviews," he assured her, quirking his lips once more.

"An interview? Well then, I _really_ shouldn't keep you," she insisted, watching the focus and determination return to his face upon being reminded of it. "I wish you all the luck in the world, then! And thanks for being so polite about me knocking you over!"

"I would say anytime, but I'd prefer you choosing someone else to knock over next time," he smirked back at her. "Thank you for your wishes."

"You have no idea how much you really mean that," she muttered to herself as he hurried on and turned a corner a block down. Once she was sure he'd be out of sight, she sent a thumbs up to Fred, who took the charm off the door and laughed as several people ended up on the ground on both sides.

"If only everything about this mission could be so simple and entertaining," Fred sighed as he reached her side.

"If only," she agreed. "So long as we're already up and accomplishing things, how do you feel about taking out a horcrux?"

"Sounds smashing. Which do you have in mind?"

"I've located the Gaunt shack. The remaining Gaunts went to Azkaban three years ago, so the ring should be there by now. It's just going to take a while. Dumbledore said it was covered in many enchantments. Remember not to put it on, no matter what kind of compulsion you have to do so," she told him, heading towards the designated apparition point.

"Won't be a problem. I don't really fancy a dead arm like Dumbledore got," Fred agreed with a shudder. "If we're successful, we should take tonight off and go out for a nice dinner. Celebrate our successes."

"And if we're not?"

"Go out for a nice drink and drown away our sorrows?" he suggested, earning a hearty laugh as she apparated them out.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE: THE GREATER GOOD

Hermione managed to apparate them in within five miles of the shack and, after a bit of a hike, they approached it cautiously under disillusionment spells, checking every couple steps for wards. The protective enchantments didn't start until a few feet from the structure, but the anti-apparition wards started a good half-mile out. Hermione clucked at the arrogance of the real protection starting so close to the prize, but the foresight of trapping any magical meddlers so near to it. The whole thing was very Slytherin in her mind. It was almost nightfall when they were finally able to dismantle the wards and protective enchantments without alerting the dark lord. They entered the shack cautiously, immediately noting the ring on the table in the middle of the main room. It was the only place inside that wasn't covered in a thick layer of dust and grime - the magic surrounding it keeping the dust and dirt from settling.

"Dumbledore picked something _that_ well protected up and put it on?" Fred asked incredulously.

"It contains one of the three Deathly Hallows," Hermione explained, already trying to figure out what protected the ring itself. "He was a life-long seeker of them. The stone there isn't an ordinary stone."

"The resurrection stone," Fred breathed, nodding his head in awe. "Slytherin had the resurrection stone?"

"And Harry has the invisibility cloak through his father's relation to the Peverells," she told him with a smirk. "I'll give you three guesses as to who has the elder wand and how they got it."

"Dumbledore. How, though?"

"Can you not think of anything Dumbledore has done that could have ended with him gaining the allegiance of the elder wand?" Hermione chuckled as Fred's eyes grew wide again.

"The duel with Grindelwald? That was for the elder wand?" he let out a low whistle, trying to come to terms with the idea. "So I guess Skeeter wasn't making up stories entirely, then. He really was in league with a dark wizard looking to create a 'greater good'."

"Dumbledore did _everything_ for the greater good. I'm sure his definition of it changed a bit, but the dedication to the idea and the terminology didn't in the slightest," she told him, sighing and taking a step back from the ring. "Good news or bad news?"

"Bad first," Fred was resolute in his decision.

"I can't take the wards off the ring without alerting Old Voldie."

"The good?"

"They won't protect against fiendfyre. If we can gather the other horcruxes, I say we bring them all here, breach the outer wards once more, put them as close to the ring as possible and light the whole bloody place up," she told him, rehashing their entire plan quickly.

"Then run like hell in hopes that we get out before _he_ gets in to try and stop it or the flames catch up," Fred countered, disapproving slightly.

"If you can think of anything better…?"

"No, that's actually a pretty good plan, all downsides taken into account. Adjustment: we bring a broom. Best we can get our hands on. You might be rubbish at flying, but I'm not and it's a good deal faster than running. Past that, we hope he _does_ show up. Wouldn't it be quite the surprise for him to see _all_ his horcruxes being destroyed simultaneously? Plus, there's always the chance he gets caught in the flames too. Even if he's not, a few words to the correct people and we can have the _entire_ Order of the Phoenix ready to meet him as soon as he becomes mortal ready to finish him off for good," Fred thought aloud as they left the shack and Hermione cast a few spells to undo their breaking of the wards. If Voldemort returned, it would seem like they had never been there.

"So what do we have to find now?" Fred asked as they settled around the coffee table with take away Chinese they had picked up on their way back to the flat in lieu of going out and making a long day longer.

"Well, right now he should only have five horcruxes and himself," Hermione told him, referencing her notes. Or rather, referencing the divider in a muggle binder of notes specifically related to horcruxes. "He hasn't attacked the Potters, so no Harry-horcrux, and Dumbledore figures that he only turned Nagini after he returned, especially seeing as she's barely a hatchling now.

"So we've got the ring, which is found and somewhat accessible, at least. Then Ravenclaw's diadem, the diary, Slytherin's locket, and Hufflepuff's cup," she finished, ticking them off on her fingers.

"Oh goody. Highly sought-after magical artifacts and a personal object of the dark lord. _That_ should be easy," Fred deadpanned. "Do you know where they are currently?"

"Of course I do. Do you really think I'd come all the way back here only knowing where they are twenty-some years in the future?" she scoffed, flipping through her pages. "Scratch that, the locket should still be un-cursed, but in his possession. He hasn't made it yet."

"How do you know?" Fred asked, feeling a bit better to have fewer objects to find.

"I don't. Not for certain, at least, but I'm pretty sure," she bit her lip nervously as she looked up at him. "Remember why we couldn't figure out why he killed Dorcas Meadowes personally?"

"Yes…" Fred looked uneasy now.

"I think he used her for the locket horcrux. Dumbledore knew it was the last one made before Harry, so I didn't think anything of it at first when I saw her death after touching it, but the timelines add up and so does the news."

"Explain yourself," Fred was turning the idea over in his head, but wanted better than a hunch when trying to vanquish the dark lord.

"I thought he was just carrying it around, newly made, when he killed her. You know, safekeeping until he finished the cave protections. Her family is in the papers. Her younger brother was just sent to Azkaban with a dark mark on his arm. He was one of the first death eaters captured this time around. Her older brother is scheduled to be sent through the veil next week. They're two of the first death eaters caught this time around. Barty Crouch Sr. is making an example of them."

"So? He lost two death eaters of a hundred or so," Fred argued, playing devil's advocate.

"They haven't been trained to withstand interrogation or veritaserum yet. They're what makes him train his followers so well and implement masks and matching cloaks. They sold out a good dozen more. Including their father," she told him. "And guess who brought them in?"

"Dorcas Meadowes?"

"No, her fiance and his partner - Gideon and Fabian Prewett. With assistance from Miss Meadowes, who was able to use her blood connection to her brothers to track them down and her presence to corner them. Dark as they might have become, they didn't have it in them to harm their sister. She, however, was able to overcome any qualms about turning in her entire death eater family before disappearing. Presumably to some safe house," Hermione told him.

"And this just happened?"

"It was in this morning's _Prophet_."

"And the time lines?"

"Regulus Black went missing three days after Dorcas Meadowes was killed. That's just enough time to make the horcrux, regain your strength, call upon a follower's house elf to hide it, and then have said follower get the house elf coherent enough to explain before making the poor thing take him to the cave, retrieving and replacing the horcrux himself, sending it back with the elf to destroy and die of his injuries in the cave," Hermione explained.

"Barely enough time, but you're right. You-Know-Who would want to have it safely hidden as quickly as possible. Why didn't he notice Black's defection?" Fred asked, bemused by the idea.

"While that was going on, the body count was building. Dorcas Meadowes had some _very_ dedicated friends that went out looking to avenge her. They only found bits of her friend and, I suspect, coworker, Benji Fenwick. Her secret husband and his brother died fighting like heroes in Diagon Alley the day after her new brother-in-law's girlfriend was slaughtered alongside her entire family," Hermione reminded him. "Not to mention that all of this happened in the two weeks leading up to his demise."

"I suppose that _would_ take your attention a bit," Fred decided, nodding his head and agreeing with her logic. "Are you willing to bet George's life and our future on this theory?"

"Yes. I'm that sure of it."

"Then it's truth, not theory. If you believe it, so do I," he told her, nodding and digging into his now lukewarm noodles. "Where are the others?"

"The diadem is the most definite location, but should be our last to retrieve because we'll need to go to Dumbledore for it. It's been in the Room of Requirement for almost two years now. The cup is on display in a gallery in Diagon Alley with Hepzibah Smith's private treasures. Apparently he left it at the murder site to throw people off his trail. He'll steal it for safekeeping in about a year right before the exhibit is closed. It's on round the clock surveillance by charms and an auror guard," Hermione chuckled a bit at that.

"The Ministry is inadvertently guarding something that can be used to take down Old Voldie?" Fred asked, laughing. "Hiding in plain sight is fairly brilliant and dead useful at times."

"Tell me about it. We've counted out the locket and found the ring. The biggest problem is the journal," Hermione got serious once more. "It's either in _his_ possession right now or hidden in the library in the Riddle home. I can't be sure."

"So what do we do?" Fred asked, looking worried.

"Check the Riddle home and hope for the best, really," Hermione told him with a sigh. "I haven't a clue and think we may have to involve Dumbledore sooner if it's not there. It _should_ be there, though. I can't be certain, however, because he took it out and put it back several times before giving it to Malfoy to hide about a month before he went after the Potters."

"Well, we've got about a year before he goes for the cup, so I say we keep checking back at the Riddle home until we start running out of time or until we get it. We're using a fake to get the cup, yeah? Otherwise he'll know as soon as he hears about the burglary," Fred, as per usual, decided to go about the simplest way of doing things, boggling Hermione's mind slightly, but she couldn't argue with the merits to his plan.

"I've got an extremely convincing fake in my bag I made modelled off the original," Hermione assured him. "We've got about three weeks to check the Riddle home the first time."

"You think?"

"I know. The Corner family lives right outside of Little Hangleton. He's present at the attack that kills the entire family in three weeks."

"Corner? Didn't Ginny date a Corner while she was in D.A.?" Fred asked, trying to place the family.

"Yes. Michael is born of the two survivors. His parents will be on their honeymoon at the time. That's what makes the family a target. Whereas they were hardly pure to begin with, the Corners have been marrying at least half-bloods for several generations now. His mother is muggle-born. Ever notice he only dated pureblood girls at school like your sister and Cho Chang? He's got no extended family because his father married someone less than pure," she paused at the incredulous look she was getting. "Don't look at me like that - Ginny told me most of it. I just worked out the details before we came back."

"So what you're saying is that either the book is in the library at the Riddle house and will be picked up when Old Voldie goes to visit the Corner family or that he will return it then?"

"It only makes sense. He doesn't seem the type to make unnecessary trips," she figured.

"So how do we fix this one?" Fred asked, getting concerned when she got very interested in her food and started chewing her lower lip. "Hermione. We _are_ saving them, right?"

"I don't think we should this time," she muttered.

"And why not?" he asked, his voice becoming dangerous, but keeping level.

"Because this is the event that causes the creation of the Order of the Phoenix. A bit of muggle baiting and a couple dozen random deaths or disappearances over several years isn't enough. An entire magical family slaughtered gave Dumbledore a rallying cry," she explained, looking sick. "Please don't hate me for thinking we should let things fall how they did last time with this one event. I'm already having a tough enough time living with myself over it, but if we stop this, we've got no backup should things go wrong and so many more people will die. It's the Corners or hundreds."

"So it's for the greater good?" Fred asked, jabbing at her intentionally as she cringed and nodded. He glared for another few moments before sighing and pulling her close. She really did look ill over the idea. "It was unfair of me to judge you like that. If the Order doesn't form, hundreds _will_ die. My family included. I know this for a fact. Neither of us like it, but we can both see this is necessary. We'll just have to learn to live with ourselves...and maybe be a little nicer to Michael Corner next time around."

"Are you sure you don't hate me?" she sniffled out, voice small.

"Positive. This is the right thing to do for the people we're aiming to protect. We both came here knowing we couldn't save everyone and that we'd have to be selfish and put our family first. This is just the first time we've got to do so. It's obviously tearing you up inside, but you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. How many people are going to live because of what we're doing?"

"At least the hundred twenty that died in the final battle," she answered. "That's twenty people to live for every death at the Corner residence."

"Let's keep it at that perspective and move on then," Fred assured her, smoothing her hair comfortingly.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR: SIRIUS BURGLARY

Two days before the attack was supposed to happen at the Corner residence, Hermione and Fred broke into the Riddle estate. After an extensive search, they were convinced that the horcrux was not there. The two dejectedly returned to Diagon Alley to their life of cautiously avoiding anyone they might know from the future while simultaneously watching them best they could - most of these people had been dead when they left their previous timeline. Hermione had already picked out a face that had originally made her red in anger and betrayal visiting the apothecary on a regular basis - Peter Pettigrew.

She said nothing to Fred about this, though, but found herself making sure she was by the window or seated outdoors at the cafe to watch the man on his regular errand as often as she could. At first, she thought he'd burst in flames from the seething glares she was sending his way. After a while of observation, she was confused and curious. He was terribly friendly to everyone he came across, but was visiting the apothecary with increasing desperation and frequency. _Someone he loves is sick._ Hermione was taken aback realizing this, having even seen him enter with Remus Lupin one day, who seemed to be trying to calm him down, but looked worried none the less. From the way the two interacted, she wondered when Peter had defected - he looked at the werewolf with the kind love and reliance Ginny had looked to her brothers with when things got to the worst. Remus seemed committed to helping and comforting his friend. She gasped in realization that what she was watching clearly displayed Peter as weak and vulnerable, as well as trusted implicitly by his friends. As for a loved one being sick, well, that would serve as proper motivation for even the worst kind of acts, should they be captured. Hermione was suddenly less sure that Peter was naturally the vindictive creature she had met in her own timeline. Surely being used like that and exposed to what he was would change this young man who reminded her painfully of a young Neville Longbottom with his friendliness and nervousness.

The night the death eaters attacked the Corners, Fred and Hermione were getting ingloriously drunk in an almost hidden booth in the Leaky Cauldron. Neither were saying much as they downed their drinks quite a bit faster than wise in the crowded pub.

"Mind if I join you?" a familiar voice asked around 1:30 in the morning. Hermione looked up into the not-so-haunted eyes of Sirius Black. "It's been an awful night and everywhere's full with people being...happy," he explained with distaste at the last word.

"Take a seat, mate. No happiness here," Fred told him, pushing out the chair closest to the man with a foot.

"Thanks. I'm Sirius, by the way, Sirius Black," he told them, setting down his half-empty glass and gesturing to Tom the barkeep for another round for them all.

"Mya Harrington," Hermione offered, using her fake identity. "This is my husband, Liam."

"Good to meet you. You two from around here?" Sirius asked, thanking Tom when he gave up and just brought a whole bottle of firewhiskey to the table to save himself time.

"Originally, but our families moved around a lot. Seems Mya's the only constant I've had in my life. Didn't even get to go to Hogwarts or anything," Fred complained, his caution slipping from the amount of firewhiskey he'd been drinking.

"That'd be why I didn't recognize you lot," Sirius decided. "Maybe it's for the better. They prepare good people for careers that show them terrible things."

"You've just met us, how can you say for sure we're good people?" Hermione pointed out, trying to stop from choking up knowing what she had let happen that night.

"You let a ruffian like me sit and drink in my gloom with ya, yeah?" he figured, chuckling a bit as he refilled his glass. "I was encouraged to go into training to be an auror. They started taking me along when they go out last week. Something...awful happened tonight. It'll be in the papers tomorrow."

"Something awful?" Hermione pressed morbidly, knowing what it was.

"Out in Little Hangleton. A whole family slaughtered. _His_ mark was there again, but it wasn't just a muggle or some random adult. An _entire_ family. Babies, old people, all of em. And the blood…" Sirius shuddered while tears started down Hermione's face. "I'll be having nightmares of that place the rest of my life, I think. James at least has a pretty bird to go home to. I've got an empty flat. Can't face sleeping sober tonight, I don't think. Didn't want to be alone while I drank, though. That's where you kind folks come in."

"Guess the Ministry made an example with those Meadowes blokes, so the other side decided to set an example themselves," Fred muttered, taking a long drink. Sirius nodded sadly.

"That's about what we figured. Let's not dwell on it. I seem to have intruded on your own bit of sadness," he abruptly changed the subject, almost apologetically.

"Nothing so horrific," Hermione was quick to note. "Liam got sacked today, is all. I've been having trouble finding a job myself, people being so suspicious of international schooling records, so that was our income."

"Damn shame, that," Sirius noted, refilling Fred's glass for him. "Not as tragic, but just as worthy of another drink. You two'll be alright though?"

"We've got enough saved up to handle ourselves a couple years, probably. We were just trying to expand that savings. And maybe the family once we were secure and all," Fred told him, going on with Hermione's quick lie.

"Might be a blessing in disguise hearing your news, though," Hermione added quietly. "Might be best to not be tied to a job or family the next couple years."

"That's the sad truth of it, Mya," Sirius agreed, finishing his now third glass. "Doesn't stop everyone though. Maybe after tomorrow's paper it will."

The next morning Fred woke up horribly hungover to Hermione running around the flat guest-proofing it while muttering to herself furiously. After taking the hangover cure she had kindly left on the sink for him, he remembered getting absolutely sloshed with Sirius Black the night before. And telling him where they were staying. And saying he could stop by anytime. He groaned in frustration with himself and understood Hermione's angry muttering now. Neither of them had thought to be cautious with someone they were both so comfortable around while heavily drunk. Now, he realized it was either a huge mistake or their best accidental move ever.

"He could be our key to Dumbledore," Fred called to Hermione, cleaning in the sitting room, as he made them tea.

"We also have to watch everything we say and do around him. And we can't let him see half of what we've got here," Hermione warned, the nod she gave him as she accepted her tea agreeing with him none the less.

"When do you want to go back to look?" he asked her, sitting down as she finished her charm work, hiding her binder completely.

"We should wait a few days. Make sure he's gone and on to the next thing. Maybe a whole week. We can get started on our burglary plans, though," she offered, looking contemplative.

"Fancy a trip to the exhibit today?"

"Let me get my coat."

The two wandered around the exhibit, taking turns as to who was looking incredibly interested at the artifacts in front of them and who was checking the security as they went. Hermione chuckled to herself when she realized how perfect of a team they made for these things and how she never would have been able to achieve this level of subterfuge with Harry and Ron. Maybe it was for the best they left her behind and the twins took her in. She had accomplished so much more with the two pranksters. Their level of focus rivalled her own when they were interested and invested and their creativity was a good match for the library she called a brain. Her logic and manners also evened out their penchant for the dramatic and she was able to teach them to be subtle without being suspicious whereas they taught her to laugh carefree and to lie convincingly. As unlikely as it seemed at a glance, her teaming up with them was really the best match she had ever made with people and the most logical.

"I find the whole thing a bit overdone. Glorifying narcissism and materialism, really," a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Sirius! Good to see you again! Here on work, then?" Hermione asked, saying his name a tiny bit louder than necessary to get Fred's attention.

"Sure am, Mya. They were great with me tagging along for a random call, but I've got to be fully trained and all before I'm allowed on high profile cases like that for the investigative work," he explained, turning to shake Fred's hand. "Good to see you functional again, Liam."

"You too, mate. Figured we'd spend our free time exploring the alley a bit. We haven't seen much but the Leaky Cauldron and the cafe we're above," Fred told him with a small grin.

"The main drag's mostly your commonly needed shops. Clothes, wands, supplies, pets, that sort of thing. Make sure you check out Fortescue's ice cream parlor - best in the world, I promise. The little side alleys will have the more interesting finds. Everyone swears by Flourish and Blotts, but there's a little bookshop around the corner and a few blocks down from you lot that's got better prices and a more interesting selection. And the apothecary is great for potions ingredients, but if you want a good potion itself, you should head to O'Connell's. It's a little bit down the side street across from Flourish and Blotts," Sirius told them, his eyes constantly moving to take in his area.

"Good to know. It's silly having lived here a few months and not gotten to know the area," Hermione chastised herself, wondering why she had never bothered to look past the main drag in her past, drawing attention from Fred's nodding in agreement.

"Just keep clear of Knockturn Alley. Pretty shady place. Especially as of late," he warned, making sure both nodded in agreement. "So my lunch is coming up in about a half an hour. Fancy trying a little place over by Fortescue's with me? My treat. They make us take lunches in shifts, so I'm usually eating alone when I'm assigned here. It'd be great to have company."

"You just want ice cream," Hermione chastised, earning a laugh from both men, but she remembered Sirius' desperation for company when he had gotten out of Azkaban and how poorly he dealt with being alone. "It sounds like a plan. We'll meet you out front in half an hour then?"

Hermione was surprised when a younger looking Remus Lupin turned up outside the exhibit a couple minutes before Sirius was supposed to meet up with them. When Sirius came out and introduced them all, Remus explained that he had been in the Ministry and saw James, who told him Sirius would be out here and when his lunch was. Much to Sirius' embarrassment, Remus mentioned knowing how much Sirius hated being alone and so had wanted to spare him. Though they were a bit more guarded sober, Hermione and Fred chatted easily with Remus and Sirius, who did indeed pick up the check for lunch. They even managed to get a good bit of information off them in regards to the now forming Order of the Phoenix and the security of the exhibit. Pleased with their success and the fact that neither man knew how much they were divulging to the couple, Hermione insisted on getting everyone a cone at Fortescue's to "see if it was indeed the best in the world."

Once they arrived back in their flat, the two went their separate ways preparing for the burglary. They had decided on their walk back that an immediate strike was best. Not only did it make them feel better about leaving the Corners to their fate, but they knew Sirius wouldn't be in first thing the next day nor the lone guard there that night. After a quick supper and an hour or so of perfecting their plans, the two napped for a few hours before it was time to head out.

The heist itself was mindlessly simple for a genius and master prankster joining forces. A creatively brewed and administered sleeping draught to the guard ensured safety on that front. Hermione had been working on the potion since they had arrived, knowing from testing on both herself and Fred that the guard would awaken in precisely two hours after ingesting it not realizing he had been asleep at all. Once he realized the time difference, they figured he'd probably chalk it up to the night going more quickly than usual and wouldn't tell anyone about it even if he _did_ figure something funny happened once ensuring everything was ok and normal. It didn't do to fall asleep on the job, after all.

Taking down the wards around the store was simple. The ones around the cup were a bit more involved, but much easier than the Gaunt shack or Riddle home had been. Once the wards were down, it was a matter of switching the real cup for a fake one and erasing their work and any sign of their presence - something both of them were rather accomplished in at this point. Before leaving, Hermione was certain to drain and scourgify the guard's tainted tea cup, refilling it with tea as it had been before Fred had slipped the potion in and setting a warming charm to help hide the time difference.

Fred looked at the cup sitting on their coffee table as if it had personally offended him. It looked innocent enough, but both of them could feel the dark magic pouring off of it from the "safe" distance they kept. It was undoubtedly a horcrux. Hermione was finishing with the mokeskin-lined secret compartment she had created in one of the bookshelves to hide it in. They had decided that since the mokeskin pouch Harry had put the cup in the first time had kept anyone from being affected by it, that it was their best bet for hiding the three horcruxes they had to acquire before their final strike. He insisted on being the one to put it in the compartment, not wanting the woman he loved exposed to it any more than necessary. Once it was completely undetectable, the two returned to bed, planning a trip to the bookstore Sirius had mentioned the next day in celebration.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE: THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

A week later they retrieved the diary. It had been the part they were most stressed about, aside from the fiendfyre plan, but turned out to be easier than retrieving the cup once they got through the wards. Having searched the library so well the last time, it was easy for them to pick out which books had been disturbed and put back in a different order to hide the book behind them. And having been exposed to another horcrux so recently, they both recognized the magical signature from several feet away. They would have noticed it even had they not been previously exposed - it was the only thing magic in the entire house. It was also placed in the mokeskin compartment once they returned home.

They had received an owl from Sirius three mornings after they had stolen the cup saying he was on assignment in Diagon Alley again and asking if they cared to try another place for lunch, seeing as they were "exploring" the magical marketplace. Sending an immediate yes, Hermione asked if he minded if she invited Remus, and would Remus mind receiving an invitation from her, since Fred was still sleeping. Sirius replied on his way out of the office encouraging her to owl him, saying it saved him a headache when Remus had another bookworm to talk to. After that lunch, meeting up with the two marauders or having them over for tea became a regular occurrence while Hermione and Fred subtly and cautiously started showing an interest in fighting Voldemort, hoping for an invitation to meet with Dumbledore about joining the Order. Neither was particularly interested in joining this time around, especially knowing that if they were successful, they would be vanishing from this time period and the Order itself would be unnecessary, but they wanted a private meeting with Dumbledore. Surely he'd insist on it being private before asking them to join and/or inducting them.

In the meantime, Hermione had stopped by the potions shop Sirius had mentioned on a hunch. Sure enough, Severus Snape was watching the store. Upon recognizing her, he told her that this was where the interview was and thanked her for her best wishes again, seeing as he had aced the interview and got the job. She insisted on taking him to lunch to celebrate, where she learned he had not only gotten the job as an assistant brewer and shop keeper, but would be, for lack of a better term, apprenticing under the potions master that kept the shop while working there and, provided he learned to work the way the owner wanted things done, would be made partner in the future. Turns out O'Connell was reaching an age in which he wanted to retire, but insisted on keeping his business running and wouldn't turn it over to someone he hadn't personally taught despite Severus' completed apprenticeship and mastery. She knew that the shop didn't exist in her time and was glad to know she made two people's lives better by ensuring Snape was never marked - a fact she had decided was true based on the man's healthy glow and a few veiled questions he, as a Slytherin, hadn't seemed too put off by.

Outside of Hogwarts and the service of masters, he was much friendlier. Of course, he was also creating a good life for himself - one that he had wanted since he was a boy. He also wasn't forced to interact with anyone he didn't want to unless they came into the shop and there he had the power to kick them out. His sense of humor was no less dark and dry for all this, Hermione noted as he told her that. Fred had beamed upon hearing this. Whereas he hadn't been particularly close with Snape even as they worked together, Hermione had built a fairly solid friendship and trust with the sour man. Even if she hadn't, it was still good to know that he had helped make someone's life better in such drastic ways. _And_ he got to prank Lucius Malfoy in the process. How could he not be happy and proud of that? Fred was almost disappointed that they wouldn't know the man Snape was meant to have been. Or learn from him. Potions were a very important part of his personal business and he knew Snape was brilliant at his art. Classes from a man that didn't hate the entire world and most of all his own life that happened to be _that_ brilliant at his art would have been immensely helpful to a young Fred.

It took almost three months, several Death Eater attacks they had not known about, and a few attacks Hermione and Fred were able to guard this timeline against before Sirius turned up for dinner with an odd request. They had immediately noticed Remus being missing, as he was supposed to have joined them as well. Sirius then apologized for his friend's absence and for the fact that he wanted to skip the dinner Hermione had been preparing to take them somewhere. After a few questions with veiled answers that didn't tell them much past it would help fight Voldemort, Fred and Hermione exchanged glances, knowing Dumbledore had asked to meet them, and let Sirius take them to Hogsmeade. He walked them to the main gates of Hogwarts and then turned them over to Dumbledore, who was waiting for them. Before leaving, he made sure the two knew how to get back to Hogsmeade and told them he'd be waiting at the Three Broomsticks.

"Thank you, Mr. Black," Dumbledore called after him before gesturing the couple through the gates. He seemed pleased that they entered without incident. "Mya and Liam Harrington, I am told?"

"Yes, sir. You must be Headmaster Dumbledore," Hermione greeted, shaking his hand. Fred quirked an eyebrow when he was offered a hand next.

"Good to meet such a legendary man," he commented, shaking. "Are there charms on the gates? You seemed relieved when we entered."

"Protection charms and wards greater than anywhere in the world," Dumbledore told him. "And a little something I added to make sure no one marked may enter," he added with his signature twinkle.

"I assure you neither of us want anything to do with those kinds of atrocities," Fred told him as Dumbledore led them to the castle.

"Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin have filled me in on your stance on current events. I asked that he bring you here so that we may dine together and discuss what you plan on doing about that stance," Dumbledore explained, leading them past the full dining hall and towards his office. They were silent as they followed him, pretending to take his lead, but really knowing the portraits would repeat anything they said and spread rumours if any of it was interesting.

They settled into a small dining room off to the side of Dumbledore's office that was notably portrait-free. As they ate, they discussed their made up lives, current events, and their feelings towards them with Dumbledore. Hermione was on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop in the building tension. He had approved of them once. Would he do so again? Her fears were unfounded as, once dessert was cleared away with the table, leaving them in comfortable chairs, the headmaster extended an invitation to the Order of the Phoenix.

"You seem remarkably relieved at this, Mrs. Harrington. Have you been told more about this before?" he asked, looking at her over his spectacles. Exchanging one more look with Fred, she shook her head no.

"No one here has told me anything about the Order. I do, however, know all about it because I was once a member. So was my husband," she told him, the twinkle disappearing from his eyes as he looked at them critically.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Harrington, but you must be mistaken," he insisted, no longer in friendly grandfather mode.

"Weasley," Fred piped up from beside her, looking up from the floor to meet the headmaster's eyes. "Mrs. Weasley."

"I know the Weasley family, Mr. Harrington. She is not part of it, though you look as if you could be."

"Because he is, Headmaster," Hermione sighed heavily, keeping eye contact once he looked back at her. "My name is Hermione Weasley, born Hermione Granger. This is Fred Weasley, my husband. He should recently have been added to your prospective students list. I will be added to it in a few years when I make the wall of my playpen disappear so I can get to a toy my mother wouldn't let me have."

"Fred Weasley is an infant," Dumbledore argued, looking interested none the less.

"Now he is. After the second war against Voldemort he's a married twenty-year-old without a twin," she told him, watching the emotions flitter through the old man's eyes upon hearing this.

"There's another war?" he asked, watching the shadows reappear in the two younger people's eyes as Hermione pulled up her sleeve to show him the cursed scar on her forearm.

"We win that one too, if it makes a difference," she told him as he traced the word on her arm, feeling the dark magic from the blade that created it. "Not that you or George Weasley live to see it. A lot of people don't. Hell, from right now, a lot of people you know don't see the end of the first war."

"We've come back to change that," Fred added, handing Dumbledore the time turner they had created.

"Voldemort survives and disappears?" he asked, eyeing the time turner critically.

"People think he was vanquished. He disappeared and spent several years recovering from a reflected killing curse before being strong enough to make several attempts in regaining a body. He was eventually successful," Hermione told him. Dumbledore looked at and through her for a full minute, clearly trying to figure out what was left unsaid, before speaking.

"A horcrux?" he asked, saddened and horrified.

"Seven, in our time. Though, one was unintentional," she affirmed. "There's only four and him right now. We've managed to procure two of them."

"And the other two?"

"One cannot be moved, so we plan on taking the other three to it and destroying them all with fiendfyre. The other is here in the castle, but we needed to meet you and gain access to Hogwarts before retrieving it," Fred laid out their plan in its barest form.

"I need to confer with someone else before we go any further. Would you mind waiting a few minutes?" he asked, leaving the room at their affirmation.

"How did you do it?" a short, and angry looking, blonde witch demanded as she burst into the room. Her curly hair starting to frizz and crackle with static in her anger as she fixated on Fred.

"How did we do what?" Hermione called her attention back to her as another man and Dumbledore entered.

"How did you create this?" she asked, shoving the time turner in her face with a slightly shaking hand. "The Ministry has only approved our hour versions in the past year and there's only one person approved to have one as of yet. Neither of which are you."

"Clearly if they managed a correct copy of a full time turner, it doesn't matter when our approved version was released, Cassie," the man admonished with a slight grin. "When are you two from?"

"1999. Just barely," Fred told him with a grin. "New Years Day, to be exact."

"And how did you procure this?" he asked, smiling back.

"We made it. Rather, she did mostly. With help from Snape."

"Snape?" Dumbledore questioned, looking confused. "Severus Snape?"

"Yes, sir. He was our potions master and a spy for the Order of the Phoenix. Last time around, he became a death eater right out of school. This time around we've been able to avoid that so far," Hermione spoke up, the twinkle returning to the old man's eyes.

"I was hoping he didn't have it in him. If he asked you to change that, he was surely repentant."

"From speaking with him, I daresay he was repentant the moment he took the mark," she told him with a slight frown. "But he certainly saved enough lives and did enough to good to make up for everything. He was a hero by the end of the war - one of the bravest men I have ever met, despite his...less than pleasant disposition."

"Why did Snape help you? Why not one of us?" the witch identified as Cassie started her questioning again.

"Neither of you were around," Hermione told her evasively, eyeing the hand clutching the time turner warily as it shook more noticeably now that she was becoming more frightened than angry.

"And your uncles?" she asked Fred, her voice dropping several decibels.

"They...erm...weren't around either," he told her awkwardly as her face fell.

"You're fixing that, I assume?" she asked, looking at him sharply. "Your uncles and your twin?"

"And many others," he insisted.

"You're sure you can do this?"

"We can avoid the fate we know of. We don't know if something else might happen instead," Hermione warned. "But we almost lost both wars against Voldemort. If we take him out of the picture in the next few months, most of the major events and a large majority of the casualties will be avoided."

"I'm Dorcas Meadowes. I will be your contact for the Order of the Phoenix due to your...unusual nature in being here. This is my partner Benji Fenwick. We have a few more questions to ask you two privately, if the headmaster doesn't mind," she told them after a moment of silent contemplation, turning to Dumbledore, who raised an eyebrow, but no objections, handing the woman a handkerchief.

"So long as you promise to stop by and have Poppy look at then when you're all done," he requested, pointedly looking at the thin line of blood now dripping down her hand from under her sleeve. The old wizard sent one of the saddest looks Hermione had ever seen him make at the back of her head as she cussed under her breath, turning from them to clean up her arm.

They were questioned by the unspeakables, and then Dumbledore again, and then their plan was set to be implemented. It took most of the night for Hermione, Fred, and the two unspeakables to locate the diadem. Dumbledore assured them he would have the Order of the Phoenix ready to back them up at the edges of the apparition borders around the Gaunt shack in three week's time. Upon escorting them to the gates once more, he told them he looked forward to seeing them in the future and would expect great things from them both, especially seeing as they wouldn't grow up under the threat of war.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX: FIENDFYRE

Sirius was oddly distant with the two for the next three weeks, which was a bit saddening, but none the less convenient as they had to be sure their plan would work. They watched under disillusionment spells as James and Lily crossed Voldemort the first time, knowing it was part of a prophesy they were stopping from playing out. Snape would never hear Trelawney's prediction. In fact, Trelawney would never have a chance to make that prediction. They were contacted daily by Dorcas Meadowes and Benji Fenwick, who asked more questions about their time travel, but seemed very guarded about hearing anything about the possible future. Hermione was of the opinion that the future she knew would never happen and thus thought it would be an entertaining story. The two unspeakables were interested, but insisted they'd rather hear the story later in their lives should it prove to have been fiction. Benji even suggested she turn it into a book, maybe create a career out of it.

"I suppose I should thank you two for making your plans when you did," Dorcas told them one day over a cup of tea after more serious matters were settled. "I was supposed to be married the day we're attacking. I'm a bit put out, quite selfishly, I'll admit, but I suppose it's better in the long run to defeat the Dark Lord then get married."

"Is your fiance upset you had to call off the wedding?" Hermione asked gently, wondering if it would ever happen now.

"Hardly," she snorted, smiling a little to herself. "Gideon'll be on the front lines, he and his brother insisting they get the first crack at you-know-who. Besides, I met him at the Ministry yesterday after we left to make our marriage official. His sister's furious with the both of us."

"Not just you. You forget that Fabian, Marlene, Ana, and I were there too," Benji put in, chuckling. "Her new husband and his twin have been getting the two of us in trouble for almost as long as I can remember. Being a few years younger, I'm sure that's as far back as she _can_ remember."

"Molly'll get over it when she finds out we cut the plans down even further so that her kids will all be safe and happy. Didn't fancy having pictures taken right now anyway, what with my arm and all," she muttered the last part, glaring at the twitching limb in question.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?" Hermione seized the opportunity to ask the questions that had plagued her for over a year now.

"Antonin Dolohov and Bellatrix Lestrange," she answered wryly. "I had only gone back to work a few days before Dumbledore contacted us about you two."

"What did she label you?" Hermione asked, deciding she didn't care why she had been targeted. The why didn't matter, she knew better than most.

"I don't think I follow you," Dorcas said slowly, looking at Hermione sharply, dawning realization and horror building in her eyes.

"Your arm bleeds after excessive movement or tension. Your left arm. I'm certain it's not the dark mark, but I'm also suddenly very certain that I wasn't the first one Bellatrix tried out cursed daggers on," Hermione spoke more calmly than she felt as she pulled up her left sleeve to reveal the still angry-looking scar labelling her as a mudblood across the better part of her forearm.

"How long?" Dorcas asked, voice hollow.

"A bit over a year now, though mine didn't bleed as often as yours seems to."

"Probably a different blade. Or it was cursed more recently for me," the unspeakable shuddered, looking down to her arm again. "Mine aren't quite the same level of offensive, but perhaps a bit more creative. I daresay she had more time to spend on me, too."

She raised her sleeve to show words carved deep, taking up her entire forearm, elbow to wrist. _Weasel snitch_. If Hermione's scar was angry, this one was downright furious. Red and swollen and still weeping a small bit of blood Fred was quick to grab a cloth for her to clean up. No one said anything when the two women pulled their sleeves down, sharing a sad look of camaraderie. Hermione had already told her that Dolohov had been the one to scar her chest so badly. After their displays, however, the meeting was done and the two unspeakables left. Before the door closed, Dorcas had turned back, looking Hermione dead in the eye and nodded. Leaning against the closed door, Hermione took a shuddering breath, knowing her younger self would never meet Dolohov or Bellatrix - they would be long dead by the time she was born.

It was finally time to make their final strike. During their conversation with Dumbledore, they had told him that their mission was to get rid of the horcruxes and make Voldemort mortal once more. Actually destroying the wizard in question would be left to him and his Order of the Phoenix. The esteemed wizard was actually very supportive of this, feeling that the final blow _should_ come from the adults of this time period, not two teens raised to be warriors sometime in the future. He even suggested taking over their part of destroying the horcruxes, but both were adamant in the idea that he end up nowhere near the ring. Instead, they claimed a feeling of personal responsibility to their mission and insisted he let them accomplish what they had set out to do. Understanding the need to tie their own loose ends, Dumbledore agreed and instead set up failsafes to be sure the fiendfyre wouldn't escape the anti-apparition wards, using them to shrink it down to a manageable size once the horcruxes were destroyed so it could be stopped. That's why he had insisted on three weeks rather than a few days - he had to prepare his people. None of them wanted it to get loose and destroy half of England.

Hermione was confident in her ability to cast the curse, but completely ignorant as to controlling or stopping it. Through their chats with the unspeakables, it was decided that this was probably best for their purposes. There were plenty of people in the Order, the aurors, and the Department of Mysteries that would be on hand to take care of the cursed flames, after all. On top of that, they felt that a strongly cast curse that was out of control and completely focused on destroying any and everything in its path would be best for what they needed, so they really only worried about Hermione and Fred getting out safe. The unspeakables helped them trigger the time turner so that a simple push of a button would take them home again so that if they got trapped by the flames, they could simply disappear without the traces a portkey would leave. Dumbledore would also be made aware of this precaution.

Dorcas had even borrowed her fiance's Cleansweep racing broom for them. It was top of the line and Fred was used to flying that exact model, so he and Hermione had been looking to buy one for their mission. When she brought it as a thank you from the Prewett/Weasley clan for all their work (the family, as the rest of the Order, was aware of two time travelers here to assist with the defeat of Voldemort even if they didn't know the details of it all), Fred had to stop his tears of joy at being handed the broom that had served him so well through his years at Hogwarts. He recognized the magical signature and, oddly enough, the broom seemed to recognize him as well. Escaping on a familiar model was their plan. Escaping on _his_ broom made him much more confident with it.

The two spent their spare time registering the Weasley family in the muggle system. Hermione was shocked and a bit disappointed on how easy it was to do so. A few well placed charms and forged paperwork had it done in less than two days. The afternoon before they left, they paid off their rent for the next month, cleaned their things out of their flat, and made their way to a muggle bank to set the rest of their money into trust for their "nephew" Frederick Gideon Weasley. Most of it was in high yield savings, but Hermione insisted on a third of it being invested into what would become key components in Microsoft in her time, having not been able to think of another company that would be cheap enough to buy a large portion of now, but have exponentially grown by the 90's when they'd be cashing in. Fred didn't understand her interest in it now, but he would later when he saw what they made on it.

After two hours of working on the wards, the two entered the Gaunt shack. No trial and error was needed this time and neither was frightened of accidentally summoning Voldemort, so the entire process was a lot easier for them. Taking the mokeskin box from her beaded bag, Hermione opened it and started placing the items in a circle around the wards guarding the ring. Once they were all in place, they started to vibrate almost violently before, one by one, they sped through the protective wards and stuck together in the middle where the ring had been. The soul pieces were trying to reattach to each other. Looking at each other in horror at what this could mean on Voldemort's end, Fred sprinted to the door to retrieve the broom and send a patronus to Dumbledore. There was no need for caution at this point, and his patronus would tell the older wizard that, warning that Voldemort was more likely than not coming. He yelled in to Hermione, who was securing her beaded bag in her pocket for their journey. She stood at the door, already seated behind Fred on the broom and turned back to send her curse.

Gigantic beasts of flame leapt from her wand as Voldemort appeared in the middle of the shack, wand drawn, hesitating for a moment at the sight of his horcruxes magically stuck together before he noticed the flames slicing through the wards and into his precious artifacts. He let out a pained howl as they simultaneously died, letting loose the four soul fragments within.

"It's done, go go GO!" Hermione shouted at Fred, who had been watching the scene in awe, despite it having only taken seconds. Voldemort turned towards them as they started speeding off.

"Do something!" Fred shouted over the wind as he pushed his broom as fast as it would go towards the ends of the wards, a flash of sickly green light barely missing them.

"I can't get a good shot!" she argued, sending countess curses and hexes in his general direction anyway.

"Then use something that doesn't need accuracy you daft witch!" Fred shouted back in exasperation as she let loose another burst of fiendfyre that seemed to engulf Voldemort and his entire surroundings.

"It's very close now, are we going to make it?" she asked, the words dripping in apprehension. Fred could feel the heat of the flames and it took everything he had to not turn and look at what very well could be their death. Clenching his jaw, he pushed even harder, speeding up only slightly because the broom was already past its normal limits. Hermione started screaming and scrambling for the chain to the time turner so they could escape as the flames seemed to hit an invisible wall, curling back on themselves and back the direction they had come looking for more to consume.

"Is it done?" Dumbledore's voice came from above the two as they laid where they had fallen from the broom in relief just outside the wards, catching their breath and trying to get themselves together again.

"The horcruxes are destroyed. _He_ turned up just as I cast the first curse. He was chasing us for a while, but I sent more fiendfyre at him. It seemed to hit him, but you can never be sure with that one. At any rate, it slowed him down. If you changed the wards as well as promised, he's still in there somewhere unless he's burned to nothing already," Hermione told him, opening her eyes to see the proud smile of the wizened wizard.

"It does an old heart good to see that my school has turned out witches and wizards such as yourselves," Dumbledore told them, eyes twinkling for another moment before they hardened. "And now we shrink the wards, stopping both the fyre and Tom for good. This will be the last I see of you two for many years, I think. It was lovely meeting you and I can't wait to see what kind of future you've gifted us," he told them, squeezing both their shoulders comfortingly as he turned away to send the signal to all of those surrounding the wards.

"Good luck. I'll see you two in a few years," Dorcas told them, grinning as she followed Dumbledore, wand in hand and partner at her side.

"Cassie!" Hermione called, waiting for the witch to pause and turn to her. "Remember what I told you about him."

"I'll be sure to stop by for a chat as soon as this is taken care of. Literally as soon as we're done in case he needs assistance," she assured the younger witch with a wry grin and waved her off as she turned back to her task.

She and Benji were apparently one of the death eaters' most feared duelling pairs and were there should Voldemort escape the wards. Some people had the same mission as she did. Others were in charge of shrinking the wards and controlling the fiendfyre. Hermione and Fred had no doubt that this would be the day Voldemort was vanquished for good. They were a bit startled as they walked around the wards towards an area they had decided to use for their time travel and saw Severus Snape shrinking them and controlling the magical fire with heavy concentration. Apparently Dumbledore was pleased with the man's choice to not take the mark this time around and was showing faith in his abilities. Hermione smiled and sighed, knowing how much different the Snape from _her_ timeline could have been had Dumbledore chosen to do that much earlier in the man's life instead of favoring his bullying Gryffindors.

"Are you ready for this?" Fred asked as they found their place in the little glade of trees on the edge of the Riddle estate that they had chosen.

"Are you?" she asked back, throwing the elongated chain over his neck.

"Let's go see Georgie," Fred answered with a beaming smile, hitting the button as she smiled back at him just as brightly.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN: PRESS RECORD AND THEN ERASE

Hermione woke up to her mother calling her name. Groggily, she looked around her childhood bedroom in confusion having expected to be in Little Hangleton with Fred. Her head was aching from two sets of memories. Starting, she realized that their time in the past had changed her past as well. She hadn't expected anything to be different before Hogwarts, but there they were: memories of coming home from school the day after a particularly strong bit of accidental magic to Dorcas Meadowes and Benji Fenwick with mischievous grins in her sitting room with Professor McGonagall to tell her she was a witch three whole years before it had happened before. Being put in contact with the Weasleys should they need a magical family to answer questions. Playing outside the Burrow with Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny. Exchanging books with Percy. Meeting Harry, Neville, Luna, Cedric, and countless others she had known, plus a few kids that had never had the opportunity to exist before, mostly with the last names Prewett, Potter, Fenwick, Black, and Longbottom, at Ron's tenth birthday party. Harry's younger brother was best friends with her generation's set of Prewett twins and Ginny had a girlfriend and yearmate in Neville's younger sister.

"Hermione, you're going to be late to the train if you don't get up soon," her mother's voice warned her through the door.

Startled, Hermione promised her she was moving and would be dressed in just a few minutes as she looked down on herself. She wasn't the nineteen year old she remembered, but the almost-twelve year old that had headed to Hogwarts for the first time. Cursing the time turner, but almost glad it was making her go through Hogwarts a second time due to the massive headache she had upon waking that was now abating, she hurried to get dressed and double check her trunk. She was full smiles the whole way through breakfast and the trip to London, knowing she now had a chance to make her years at Hogwarts fun and happy instead of frightening and dangerous. There were no physical scars to cover up and the comfort of getting to be a kid for once in her now double life would help heal the mental ones, she knew.

"Hermione!" she heard as she walked onto the platform, and was nearly tackled by Fred Weasley. "Is it you? Do you remember now?" he asked, as she tightened her hold on him.

"Yes. How long have you remembered?" she whispered back, aware that they were going to look suspicious soon.

"Since the morning I woke up for my first year. I kept waiting and after meeting you a few times, decided you'd be put back in the same place I was. I was hoping I wouldn't have to wait until you were nineteen to remember me," he whispered back, breaking the hug so his twin and their other friends could say hello.

"Little possessive there, eh, Freddie?" George joked, coming up to hug her.

"George!" she exclaimed, jumping at him and hugging him as if she hadn't seen him in years. To her credit, she hadn't in her experience. In this reality, it had been more like a week. "I missed you so much!" she told him, trying to fight the tears in her eyes.

"I saw you a week ago, Hermione," he reminded her, looking down at the young witch oddly despite hugging her back because she seemed like she needed it.

After hellos all around, Lee Jordan made his way over, and was promptly greeted the same way George had been, much to the confusion and amusement of everyone there but Fred. By the time they had gotten on the train, Hermione had to excuse herself to the bathroom so she could hide the tears she knew she couldn't hold back much longer. Getting familiar hugs from Fabian and Gideon Prewett, their wives Marlene and Dorcas, and their kids, too young for Hogwarts, but coming to see their cousins off none the less, almost undid her. She was sniffling away the last of her tears when Fred found her. Luckily, he had remembered before he met her and made sure that he and George were closer with her than they had been in the previous timeline, thus clearing the way for any "unusual" affection she'd remember later so they could easily pass it off as stress or something. Muttering a quick charm to take the redness from her eyes and tear stains from her face, she turned to him.

"First years shouldn't know that, much less be able to perform it," he reminded her, drawing a grimace. "If you thought you were the brightest witch of your age last time, you'll be a damn prodigy this time around."

"Is it hard to get used to?" she asked, slightly worried.

"A bit, but I'm sure you'll catch on. Brightest witch and all," he laughed at her worry.

"Are you going to try this time?" she asked, looking at him with concern.

"Yeah. Even talked George into it. Been a bit of a breeze, already knowing it all. I'm taking different electives this go around, letting Georgie take the ones we already did. We've already decided upon the shop - we knew it from second year on last time too. Talked him into deciding splitting all the useful subjects would be most efficient. That way neither of us have too many classes to worry on. Better study anyway, Hermione - I'm aiming for perfect O.W.L.S. this time," he told her with a wink as they started back to the compartment, the train lurching to a start as well.

"Are you really?" she looked unconvinced.

"Yep. Even Percy didn't do perfect last time. I figure Mum might go a little easier on us with better grades. Georgie agrees."

"Sound theory," Hermione conceded. "I'll still have you beat."

"Planning on the time turner this go around? I'll have you know that Sirius is alive, well, and free," he smirked at her blush.

"No. Even saving Sirius wouldn't be enough to force me into Trelawney's class a second time," she joked back, as they approached the compartment.

"Trelawney isn't there. She was never hired. Apparently, it was obvious in her interview that she wasn't a true seer, she just had the occasional premonition and prophecy. Dumbledore set her up with a different job and hired someone similar that focuses on the things everyone can learn from divination, not just those with "the sight". Charlie took the class until his O.W.L.S. and said it was interesting, but he didn't have the innate talent to continue with it," Fred told her, winking at her astonished expression as they joined their friends in the compartment.

Harry had no scar and was telling a story about some prank his brother Liam had managed to pull over on his parents a few days previous. Ron, Neville, George, and Lee were almost in tears laughing over James' proud and disgruntled reaction to his youngest son out pranking him. Fred and Hermione joined the group, smiling at their easy camaraderie. Neville wasn't the bumbling, frightened boy he had been last time, but a carefree kid with an easy laugh and the same friendly disposition. Ron wasn't as self conscious and had a lot more pride in himself having become a favorite of his Uncle Fabian early on for his prowess on the chessboard. He was the Ron Hermione imagined he would have been without so many older brothers while she had been talking to Charlie in her previous timeline. It was a funny thing how much being made aware that you were special just as you could change a person.

"Do you mind if I sit with you? I'm not getting along with that lot," a voice asked over Fred's shoulder.

"Draco, mate, come on in!" George answered, shuffling into the people around him to make room. "Your mum still working to get you in with the pureblood crowd?"

"Not my mum. Her and Aunt Andy want me to have real friends who care about me. They're very outspoken about it," he told them, sitting down between Harry and Ron. "My Gran's still on about me being a 'proper wizard' like my father and grandfather, though, and she's the one that brought me to the station."

"Fat lot of good being proper did them, eh? One dead, the other in Azkaban," Ron snorted, proving he still had the emotional range of a teaspoon. "You've got to hear what Harry was just telling us. Liam and the twins pulled one over on his parents the other day. Tell him, Harry."

Hermione startled as she searched her new memories, realizing that upon the death of Voldemort and the arrest of Lucius Malfoy, caught red handed in Little Hangleton trying to save his master that night, Narcissa had taken advantage of having control of the Malfoy empire without the influence of her husband. Not being as business-savvy as her elder sister, she had made amends with Andromeda, who now helped her run said empire. Draco was then raised in proper pureblood custom as he had been, but without his father's added lessons of pureblood supremacy. His grandfather had died in the same duel that had incarcerated Lucius against none other than Severus Snape, who was trying to prove himself as a decent man and get a chance to properly apologize to his childhood friend Lily Potter. His grandmother hated the influence Andromeda and her fun-loving daughter Nymphadora had on young Draco, but an angry old lady had nothing against a fun and friendly cousin that could change her appearance at will to entertain her younger cousin.

"Where do you want to end up?" Hermione asked Draco after Harry finished the story a second time and they all finally stopped laughing.

"Either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor," he answered resolutely. "Hufflepuff wouldn't be bad, but I want to experience things myself and Dora's there for another year. I know she only wants to help, but her protection can be stifling at best - and that's at home!"

"Not Slytherin? Your entire ancestry was Slytherin, you know," Harry pointed out.

"I don't get on with the other kids already there or the ones you know will end up there. I really don't want to spend seven years in school without any friends," Draco explained. "Besides, your whole ancestry's Gryffindor. You know how hard it would be to stay friends if we followed that. Look at what happened to your mum and Uncle Severus. What about you, Hermione?"

"Well, I'd love Gryffindor to be in the same house as Fred, George, and Lee, but Ravenclaw would suit me really well too," she reasoned, getting nods from everyone.

"You'll be sorted before me. Tell you what, if you end up in Ravenclaw, I'll make sure I do too so we both have a friend in the common room," Draco offered, holding out a hand. "Deal?"

"Deal," Hermione decided, pushing past her initial hesitation and shaking on it. "Thanks for taking the stress out of it."

"Like you really need more stress," Neville piped up from the corner. "How many course books have you memorized already?"

Her pursed lips in response drew laughter from the entire car that she joined in on after a few moments. Yes, it would be fantastic to go through Hogwarts again, she decided. For the first time since her second year in the previous timeline, Hermione was looking forward to what the school year would bring with excitement instead of apprehension.

Author's Note: I'm not sure if I'll be writing part three. I had originally intended this to be a rewrite of Deathly Hallows, a time turner story (because I always enjoy them no matter how overdone they are), and then a rewrite of the entire series skipping around as I saw fit (the third story would clearly be the longest) but I'm not sure I want to continue. I had mostly finished part two when I published part one and had planned on mostly finishing part three before publishing part two. This is why the sequel took so long. It was finished and edited within a few weeks of publishing the first story, but I wanted to get along with part three a bit before publishing it in case I decided on some changes. I've written, rewritten, edited, and changed around the first several chapters of part three at least half a dozen times and have yet to find something I'm pleased enough with to continue and finish. I've deleted everything I've written and plan on starting again. If I can't get it sorted out, I've edited and rewritten the ending to this story so that it can happily rest where it is. The reason I won't be giving more of a chance to part three is because I have all sorts of directions I had originally thought about for this would-be trilogy and chose the one that fleshed out in my mind best. Other canon divergent stories of ideas that didn't make the cut have since started writing themselves in my head and are starting to interfere with the continuity of this story line as I write. So I'll give it one more go before giving in to the other ideas swirling around in my noggin. Either way, I'll have something up by fall - sequel or no.


	8. Chapter 8

09/24/15 Author's Note:

In the previous chapter I noted that I was starting the sequel and planned on having it up by fall. This is clearly not happening for one simple reason: I'm not following and altering a set story anymore. Back to the Disaster was clear-cut for me because it was basically the fallout from me altering the original published Harry Potter story. I knew what I changed, I knew what the repercussions would be, and turned the outline in my head into a story. One I'm actually very fond of as a reader even, as simple as I made it, thank you very kindly.

I am still writing the sequel. Problem is I had planned on spending a few chapters setting up Hermione's first year with all the changes and character re-introductions and so on and so forth, tacking on a few more skipping through Hogwarts, and then skipping up to the point where Steal the Glamour from Death would have ended chronologically in this newly created timeline and creating an ending from there. Eight to twelve chapters, to the point, all story no unnecessary filler kinda deal. After getting to chapter nine and still being at Christmas her first year I realized (1) I was rambling WAY too frequently without real plot, which I detest in stories and (2) I have no story to follow, this is all me. So, good on me for changing things well enough that even some of the characterizations have to change, boo on leaving myself out in the field without cover.

There is a new plot line. I've got a great idea for it and I'm excited to see it through, hopefully without ruining everything else. HowEVer, it's going to have to be a longer story and is going to take me quite a bit of time. I'm currently chopping through what I've already written to eliminate as much rambling as I can without sacrificing the plot that came out of said rambling or too many interactions I had been looking forward to writing. I won't be posting any of it until a good portion is done because I'm going to have to go back and change and edit as I make things more feasible. The other thing I want to ensure is that it puts this story line at a good place. Too many loose ends and I'll feel like the story wasn't told and then feel compelled to come back to it when I have so many other things I'd like to get started on.

Very sorry about the extreme delay, but I hope it will be worth it. I also hope to have a good enough chunk of this next one done to post by the holidays or at the new year at the latest. No promises this time because we ARE heading into the holidays, I work overnights (which is terrible for life in some aspects, but also leaves me hours on my days off in the middle of the night where I'm trying not to wake up my husband), and I'm currently working out some housing issues. I do, however, want this story fleshed out, written, and posted because it's been in my head and notebooks too long and I need it to be done. Thank you all for all the support! =)


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